


An Early Start

by queen_scribbles



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Post-Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:35:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28955796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: Even the best of intentions can only stand so long against the temptation of a warm bed and partner who'd rather cuddle than keep your plans for the day. Especially when you share their sentiments.
Relationships: Fenris/Female Hawke, Fenris/Hawke (Dragon Age)
Kudos: 22





	An Early Start

**Author's Note:**

> For a fill-a-thon on tumblr, combining a couple of prompts regarding Fenris/Hawke being lousy Morning People and Fenris getting snuggly when it's cold that fit together too well to ignore ;)

It was an easy thing to make plans. Bellies full, fire roaring, map spread out between them as they plotted the progress they could make with an early start. They even had the best of intentions to keep those plans, _early start_ and all.

But it was another matter altogether to follow through in the grey morning light, fire burned down to embers and her breath fogging the air. Especially with both the heavy quilt and the body pressed against her back doing such a fabulous job keeping her warm. She instinctively shifted, just a little, to settle closer against the heat source.

Fenris must have noticed the change, however slight, and his grip around her midriff tightened. “You’re awake,” he mumbled into the curve of her neck.

“So’re you,” Hawke murmured, running her fingers lazily along his forearm, circling the ticklish spot on the back of his elbow.

“We should get up.” His breath hitched, then tickled her shoulder in retaliation. “If we want to be on our way...”

“Mm...” He was right, but she was so _comfortable_ , and they’d hardly set their plans in stone. “Five more minutes w’ll be okay...”

Fenris chuckled and kissed the nape of her neck just below the hairline. “I thought we wanted an early start.”

She dragged her toes up his shin. “If we leave too early there might still be trouble on the road....”

It was a flimsy excuse and they both knew it. Even individually they were capable of handling whatever “trouble” might linger, together it would be--at worst--little more than an annoyance. But he was kind enough or comfortable enough(likely both) to not say so aloud. Instead another quiet chuckle rumbled in his chest, and he hugged her closer.

“Five more minutes,” he agreed, his fingers idly tracing one of the scars on her stomach.

And so they dozed, enjoying the warmth of each others’ company and dreading the chill of those first few moments after throwing back the covers. Neither kept careful track of the time, and it was definitely more than five minutes if the increased daylight was anything to go by before they stirred again.

Hawke grimaced and this time she was the one to make the suggestion. “We sh’d get up...”

But Fenris’ arms tightened around her as she moved to push away and the small bit of cold air that breached the covers had her burrowing back in and snuggling against him as he mumbled _“five more minutes”_ into her hair.

“Soun’s good to me...” she said, and tucked herself closer under his chin.

The next definitely-more-than-five-minutes later found Grizzly just settling in across their feet, and if the happy dog sigh wasn’t enough of an excuse, the hundred and fifty pounds of mabari now pinning them to the bed _was_.

Three more attempts and flimsy excuses later, Hawke finally succeeded in dragging herself upright. Fenris’ arm was still loosely around her waist, along with the bunched up quilt, and she nearly retreated to the promised warmth as goosebumps rose on her arms.

_You’ll adjust,_ she told herself firmly, and slid from the bed with one faint shiver.. A glance out the inn’s window at the sky showed their initial ‘five more minutes’ had snowballed into roughly three hours’ delay, she’d guess. Gathering her hair into a messy bun so she wouldn’t have to deal with its tangled state, Hawke nudged Fenris’ shoulder. “Come on, sleepyhead.”

He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, mumbling something into the pillows.

Hawke chuckled wryly. “My sentiments as well, love,” she said, wriggling into trousers and trying to smooth the wrinkles from her shirt. “But we’ve already lost our early start, and I’d hate to squander the whole day.” She plunked back down on the bed and ran her fingers through his hair. “We need to get going.”

“If you wish for me to get up, what you’re doing is very counterproductive,” Fenris informed her, voice muffled by the pillow.

“Well, in that case...” She gave his hair a final ruffle and tugged the quilt to halfway down his back as she stood. “Time to get up. If I had to do it, so do you.”

He gave a muffled grunt of disgust that echoed her own feelings on the matter and she smiled as she dug through their packs.

“Come on, we’ll have to eat a quick meal if we want to make up some lost time.” Hawke tossed a shirt toward the bed and kept looking for the rations. “Maybe even as we walk. Don’t make me have Griz kiss you.”

There was another grunt at her threat, a mumble she was almost certain was a Tevene oath, and Fenris dragged himself upright with reluctance at least the equal of hers. 

“Hardly fair,” he said archly, his voice still rough with sleep, as he stretched to reach the shirt and pull it on. “Considering you were responsible for our initial delay.”

“Yes, but I also got up, eventually, of my own volition,” Hawke countered. Her fingers closed around the small rough sack holding rations and she freed it, divvying up portions for each of them and tossing a piece of jerky to Grizzly as distraction while she packed it back up.

“I would have as well,” Fenris grumbled. He shoved his feet in his boots and ran a hand through his hair.

“After five more minutes?” Hawke asked pointedly, setting the food on the table so she could pull on her own boots.

“Says the pot,” Fenris returned just as pointedly, arching a brow but smiling ever so faintly.

She shrugged. “It’s chilly here, and the bed is warm.” _Especially with you in it_. “It’ll be easier once we’re somewhere warmer.” A beat. “Right?”

He gave a dry chuckle as he crossed the room. “If our habits are any indication, likely not.”

“Damn.” She knew he was probably right; even the most temperate days back in Kirkwall they’d been abysmal at rising early, an issue that had only worsened once they started sharing a bed, and then worsened further when it got cold. “Well, eat up.” She nudged one portion of the food toward him and twitched his shirt collar straight as he leaned into her space to take it.

Fenris stilled at her touch, waited til she lowered her hand to pull away. Hawke brushed a light kiss against his cheek as he went.

He paused and kissed her in return, his free hand settling on her hip when both of them leaned into it. “Highly preferable to kisses from your dog,” he murmured with a smirk upon pulling back.

Hawke snorted and hooked her fingers behind his belt to tug him in for another kiss. “I should hope so.” She lightly dragged her teeth over his lower lip as she stepped back. “We really do need to be going.”

Fenris shook his head fondly and started eating as they pulled on coats and cloaks in preparation for walking in the cold. Hopefully they could make up some of the lost time, Hawke mused, giving a sharp whistle so Grizzly would follow.

There were, of course, more people on the road than there would have been had they started when intended. But it was hardly crowded or intense enough to slow them down, and the few travelers who marked their presence seemed to focus more on the mabari trotting at Hawke’s heels or the large sword across Fenris’ back than the two of them. Those being what people noticed had the added benefit of discouraging any who might have considered hassling them, which also helped with covering a good distance. Not quite what they’d wanted to cover, but they did make up some of what had been lost to the leisurely start. Tired but satisfied, they found a room at a decent and unobtrusive inn.

“If we can get ourselves up early tomorrow, I think we can make Markham by evening,” Hawke said as they started shucking outerwear on the way to getting comfortable. 

“A very large _if_ , indeed,” Fenris deadpanned, shivering slightly at the lingering chill in the room not yet banished by the growing fire. “We’ll have to rise to the challenge.”

Hawke snorted, wobbling as she balanced on one foot to pull off her boot. “Was that a pun?”

“Not an intentional one.” From the way the corners of his mouth twitched, he wouldn’t be apologizing for it, though.

She rolled her eyes and dropped her daggers on the bed so she could remove her belt. “It’s your turn to see about dinner,” she reminded him as he pulled off his boots, and Fenris simply nodded before padding out of the room without bothering to put them back on. He returned shortly with two bowls of stew, and they enjoyed a quiet but hearty meal before crawling into the bed.

Any hope Hawke had entertained of _doing better_ died a swift death when she half-roused in the ashen dawn light to Fenris once again coping with the chill by pulling her close as they slept. This time, she’d snuggled in with her head to his chest, tucked under his chin, and his arms loosely wrapped just below her shoulder blades.

_We need to get moving,_ a little voice said in the back of her mind.

She knew that, but she could hear Fenris’ heartbeat like this, and she’d much rather listen to that than some internal busybody trying to pull her from the warmth. She snuggled in yet closer, draping an arm over his hip as she drifted back to sleep. They’d get up soon...

She jolted awake at a warm, wet sensation swiping up her face and instinctively pulled away and sat up. “What the-?!”

Grizzly gave a happy whine, followed by attempting to lick her face again.

Hawke pushed him away with one hand and raked hair out of her eyes with the other, gaze sweeping the room until she found Fenris--fully dressed-- seated in one of the chairs so his chest rested against the back. 

He was watching the scene between her and Griz play out with no small amount of amusement in the now-bright light. “Good morning.”

She glared at him, red-brown hair falling back in her eyes. “ _Bastard_.”

“I did warn you,” he said with a hint of a smirk, seeming unaffected by her pique. “And you were prepared to do the same to me yesterday.”

Hawke gave a grumbling grunt of concession to that point, but, “I didn’t hear any warning.”

“I gave one,” Fenris said, rising from the chair to come sit on the edge of the bed. He carded his fingers through her hair, somehow avoiding the knots that snarled it. “You must have replied half-asleep.”

“At least,” she said dryly as she stretched. “I was enjoying how cuddly you get when it’s cold, can you blame me?”

He chuckled. “No, I cannot. I was doing much the same.” He let his touch linger against her jaw for a moment, then withdrew. “Come, we should be on our way.”

This time it was her turn to dress hastily and eat as they walked. 

They had to push to reach Markham as intended, and didn’t make it until well after the stars had started coming out. They ducked into the first inn they found--a small and almost seedy establishment, but neither felt like looking for anything more reputable--and paid for a room. The “last available” and more than a little cramped for two people and a mabari.

“Good thing we’re only staying one night,” Hawke muttered, frowning at the interior. At least it looked clean, which was more than she could say for some places they’d stayed.

“Good thing we don’t mind... getting cozy,” Fenris added dryly as they both eyed the sole bed, wide enough for two, but only just.

Hawke snorted and tossed her cloak over the lone chair before turning to Grizzly. “You’re sleeping on the floor tonight, boy. That bed might break with all three of us.”

Grizzly huffed in what almost sounded like understanding and flopped down on the floor, drifting off immediately.

“I think you have the right of it,” Hawke muttered to the sleeping dog. Fenris scoffed in agreement and the two of them collapsed on the bed only a minute later, having removed just enough of their clothes to sleep comfortably. They snuggled close out of both habit and necessity, given the lack of room and chill in the air.

They didn’t even pretend they were going to try for an early start in the morning, and It would have been a lie if they had. So when Hawke finally stirred from her deep and dreamless sleep to find Fenris once again tucked close against her back, his arms around her waist and his breath tickling her neck, she relished the choice to just lay there and enjoy it. 

And as they continued northward into warmer climes, Fenris’ prediction was proven correct; they remained terrible at rising early. Even when lighter covers and the warmth of another body were almost stifling instead of enticing, the two of them never quite managed to rise before mid-morning. They might be awake--or sort of--but both Hawke and Fenris were all too happy to simply enjoy each others’ company in the comfort of their bed. Fingers traced scars, tattoos, freckles, hushed and lazy conversations were had, and neither was in any rush.

Grand plans were all well and good, but not every day needed an early start.


End file.
